Automatic controlling mechanism for flour-packing machines



Jan. 22, 1924, 1,481,421

H. OB. HARDING AUTOMATIC CONTROLLING MECHANISM FOR FLOUR PACKING MACHINES Filed June 1 1920 INVENTOR WITNESS HENRY 0's. HARDING Patented Jan. 22, 1924-.

:LPATENT -orricr.

HENRY '3, HARDING, or MINNEAPOLIS, MrNNEso'rA, 'ASSIGNOR 'ro WASHBURN- onosBY COMPANY, or :nINNEAroLIs, MINNESOTA, A CORPORATION or MINNESOTA.

AUTOMATIC CONTROLLING MECHANISM non Frown-PACKING MAonINEs.

Application filed nine 1,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HEN Y OB. HARD NG, a citizen of the United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of lvlinnesota, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Automatic Controlling Mechanism for Flour-Packing Machines, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to flour. packing machines of the type illustrated, described and claimed. in an application for Letters Patent of the United States filed byn'ie June 1, 1920, Serial No. 385,565.

The present invention is concerned more particularly with means for controlling the operation of the machine referred 'to, ar'1d its main and primary objectis so to construct the machine that its operation, after the initial starting thereof, will continue automatically and without further'attention by the operator except to, feed and position properly the empty bags or sacks to be filled, and to remove the individual bagsor sacks after the filling operation has been completed. I

The invention further aims to provide controlling mechanism of the character mentioned which is positive in action; one wherein the operative parts are so organized and related as to be readily accessible for repair when such is required, and easily re placeablc in the event of damage; and finally a controlling mechanism which will require but minimum power for itsoperation in addition to that required for operation of the machine in the performance of its packing function.

The invention seeks also to attain other objects and advantages which will appear as the nature of the improvements is better understood, the invention consisting sub stantially in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and finally pointed out in the appended claims.

One form of the invention is disclosed herein by way of illustrating its practical embodiment, but this is not to be taken in a limiting or restrictive sense, the same serving to delineate an appropriation of'the conto those particular features.

prise a part of the frame work.

1920. Serial No. 385,567.

enlarged scale, of certain of the automatic controlling mechanism employed for actuating the driving clutch mechanism.

Figure 3 is a detail transverse sectional view of the upper portions of the machine at the point ofl'ocation ofthe worm gearing connected tothe line shaft.

Figure 4 is a detail perspective view of the locking pawl for limiting upward movement of the bag support.

The flour "packing machine with which the herein described automatic controlling mechanism is employed is made the subject matter of the application for Letters Patent of'the United States filed June 1, 1920,

Serial No. 385,565, hereinbefore referred; to. It will, therefore, be unnecessary to describe in detail that machine, but thegeneral' features thereof will be 'pointedout "for a comprehensive understanding of the relation of the controlling meclianisin herein disclosed Referring, therefore, in detail to the accompanying drawings, the numeral designates a pair of vertical supporting standards which com Between these standards is located 'a feed hopper 11 'to the upper portion of which i'sconnected a supply chute 12 leading from an elevated source of the flour to be packed. The feed of the fiour from the chute 12 torthe hopper 11 is controlled by a sliding gate 13 actuated "by an operating lever 14 suitably connected thereto. At the head of the supporting standards 10 and disposed at opposite sides of the frame is a 'pair of horizontal supporting rails 15,

which rails preferably are formed of angleiron. Passingthrough the chute 12, in parallel relation withthe rails 15,'bu't at a point above the same, is a line shaft 16 from which power is derived for driving the machine. A worm-gearing 17 is arranged at one side at the chute 12 and serves to transmit power from the shaft 16 to an intermediate shaft 18 the ends of which are journaled in suitable bearings carried by the supporting rails 15, said shaft 18 thus being arrangec transversely of said rails. At the opposite side of the chute 12, and located at the upper portion of the machine frame, is a clutch mechanism 19 connected to a packing shaft 20 disposed vertically of the machine, said clutch mechanism 19 providing an intermediate driving connection between the packing shaft 20 and the line shaft 16. The shaft 20 passes downwardly through the feed hopper 11, and within the latter said shaft is equipped with a plurality of packing augers (not shown) which serve to force the flour or other material. downwardly through the hopper 11 at the lower end of which is arranged a discharge nozzle 21. The bag to he filled is applied to the lower end of said discharge nozzle, and the packing angers within the hopper 11 serve to force the flour down wardly into the bag arranged on the nozzle 21 in which the flour is compactly pressed as the bag is filled.

The numeral 22 designates a supporting carriage which is mounted for vertical movement between the frame members 10. This includes a horizontally disposed shelf 23 on which the bag, to be filled is supported, and said carriage 22 is connected to a plurality of counter weights by means of a sprocket chain 2% which is trained over a sprocket wheel 25 mounted on a controlling shaft 26 which is journaled on the machine frame and arranged at the rear of the. feed hopper 11. Rotation of the controlling shaft 26 is retarded by friction mechanism 27, and when the action of this friction mechanism is removed from said shaft 26 its speed of rotation is increased by accelcrating mechanism 28 in order to give to the carriage 22 a quick downward movement after the bag has been filled.

For manually starting the packing shaft 20 and the angers carried thereby an ogerating lever 29 is employed. This is pivoted to a connecting rod 30 which extends upwardly and has its upper end pivotally connected to an actuating arm 31 which, in turn, is connected to the clutch mechanism 19 and by which the driving relation of said clutch mechanism to the driving shaft 16 is controlled.

The elements of construction above described constitute generally the main features of the flour packing machine for the control of which theherein described mechanism is designed. The purpose of the present mechanism is to afford an automatic control of the machine in question, thus relieving the operator of the necessity for starting the machine at the filling of each individual bag. Normally, the ercin described automatic controlling mechanism remains inactive until the supporting carriage is elevated to a point where the bag to be filled is held in proper relation to the discharge nozzle 21 of the hopper 11. To render the control mechanism inactive the carriage 22, at the upper end of one of its sides, is provided with an outwardly extending engaging lug 32. Pivotally mounted on an adjacent supporting member of the 7 frame, as by a bracket 33, is an l -shaped locking pawl .35 having a handle 36 by which the pawl may he swung into and out of the path of the engaging lug 32. .Vhen positioned over the engaging lug 32 the pawl 85 prevents upward movei'nent of the carriage 22 to the full limit of its movement in such direction, and the controlling mechanism, therefore, is prevented from operating. lVhen, however, the pawl 35 1s 1 swung out of the path of said lug 32 thecarriage 22 may be moved to its full limit of upward movement, and the controlling mechanism then becomes operative as will presently appear. 4 A Arranged at the upper end of the side of the carriage 22 opposite to that v-hcreon the engaging lug 32 is positioned is a n attaching bracket 37 in which is journalcd a contact roller 38. The roller 38 is designed to engage and move over an inclinc contact face 39 formed at the lower end of an op erating lever 40 which is fulcruined, as at 4:1, to one of the frame members 1- 1). Tithe upper end of said operating lever 40 is pivoted to a push rod 42 which in turn is CO11 nected to the vertical arm of a bell crank lever 48 pivoted, as at ell, to the upper portion of the machine frame. The horizontal arm of said bell crank lever is connected, 5 as by 'a link 45, with the actuating arm 3t associated with the clutch marlinui:- .1 Therefore, when the lower end of the li; 40 is swung outwardly due to the co of the roller 38 with the inclined contact face 39, the lever 31 is depressed, and (his causesoperation of the clutch mechanism 19 to establish driving relation between the line shaft l6 and the packing she 20. The mechanism for accomplishing this operation 11:; may be designated a starting means or a control means. Upon this driving" connection being established the packing =,iaft 2i) rotates and the auger-s carried thereby with in the feed hopper 11 act to expel the flour 12o through the discharge nozzle 21 of said hopper and into the bag or ick surrounding said nozzle. On the downward v of the actuating lever 31 therod wise moved downwardl and this nnwem.-ut tensions a coil spring 47 which is connected to said rod and to tha machine frame. This spring 4''? forms part of the machine structure as set forth in the application covering the packing machine.

At the lower end of theoperatinglever 4.0 is arranged a horizontal outwardly extending engaging lug d8 the extremity of which i is provided with an inclined toe 41-9 with which is adapted to engage a latch lever 50 pivoted, as at 51, to the adjacent frame member 10. The inner end of the latch lever 50 is appropriately shaped for engagement with the toe t9 and for sliding over the inclined portion thereof on the outward movement of the lower end of said lever 4L0. Pivotally connected to the latch lever 50, as at 52, is the upper end of a detaching link 53. The lower end of said detaching link 53 is provided with a series of transverse slots 5.4. These slots are adapted to receive a headed pin 55 formed at the outer end of a trip lever 56. The trip lever 5.6 is fulcrumed, as at 57, to. an adjustable clamp 58 which embraces a supporting rod 59 disposed vertically of one of the members 10 and having its ends fastened to. said member by attaching brackets 60.. The clamp 58 has associated therewith a locking lever 61 upon the proper manipula tion of which the clamp 58 may be tightly engaged with the supporting rod 59 or re leased from such engagement. lVhen so released the clamp 58 may be adjusted along the rod 59 to position the headed pin 55 with respect to the'several notches 54, or the particular notch with which it is designed to engage for the particular size, of bag to be filled. The inner end of the trip. lever 56 has an inclined engaging foot 62 for co-operation with an actuating slide 63 adjustably mounted on bag-supportingcarriage 22. This adjustment is effected by an elongated slot 64 formed in said. slide 63, said slot receiving a plurality of fastening bolts positioned in said carriage 22 and having clamping nuts 65 which serve to. hold the slide 63 at different points of its adjustment along said carriage 22. The ends of the slide 63ers beveled. and thus it will be seen that the engaging foot 62, when contacted by the lower end of the slide 68, will be depressed, due to the beveling of the lower end of said slide and the inclined face of said foot. This mechanism may be referred to as a tripping means or a stopping means.

At a point intermediate of the ends of the detaching link 53 is pivoted, as at 66., an offset connecting arn'i 6'7, which arm is pivotally attached to the outer end of a com necting lever 6.8. The outer end of said lever 68 is offset for pivotal connection, as at 69, with the arm 67, said lever 68 being pivoted, as at 70, to the contiguous frame member 10. The inner end of thelever 68 has an elongated slot 71 formed therein which receives a guide pin 72carricd. by a quadrant 73 connected to the rock shaft Tet on which the operatin fllever 29 is mounted. Thus it will be seen that on the depression of the inner end of the lever 68 the pin andslot connection between the same and the quadrant 73 will rock the shaft 74;, so that the lever will be moved in an upward direction. and this movement imparts corresponding upward movement to the rod 30 to raise the actuating lever 81 and break the driving connection established by the clutch mechanism 19 between the line shaft 16 and the packing shaft 20. It will be observed. however, that when the strip lever 56 is actuated by contact of the toe 62 with the slide 63 the disengaging link 53 is moved upwardly and this raises the latch lever 50 from its engagement with the operating lever 40. This release also serves to permit the spring l7 to exert its pull on the rod 30 and thereby raise the actuating lever 31 to render the clutch mechanism 19 inactive. Spring 47 holds the toe 62 of the trip 56 depressed and out of the path of the slide 63 on the upward movem nt of the support and until the quadrant 73 is swung against the influence of spring 47 upon the next op eration of lever 40 by roller 88.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that the automatic controlling mechanism herein described affords means for effectin automatic operation of the flour packing machine with which it is associated without any efiort on the part of the operator except, to. place on the discharge nozzle 21 the successive bags to be filled and to remove each of the bags after the filling operation is completed. So long as-the lochinlg pawl 35 is projected in the path of upward movement of the lug 32 the bag sup.- porting carriage 22 is precluded. rising to the limit of its upward movement. Conse sequently, there is no. co-operation between the roller 38 and the operating shaft $0- to swing the lower end of the latter outwardly and thereby render the clutch mechanism 19 active. In such position of the lock pawl the flour packing machine remains inactive. \Vhen, however, the pawl 35 is removed from the path of the lug 32 the carriage 22 rises to its full limit, whereupon driving connec: tion is established through the instrumentalities described between the line shaft 16 and the. packing-shaft 20, and so long as the-operator continues to {86d the bags to the discharge nozzle 21 and remove the filled-bags, the removal of the weight of the latter from the carriage 22 permitting said carriage to rise into co-operative relation with the op erating lever to, the machine will continue to operate.

I claim:

1. In a machine of the class described, the combination with means for feeding the material to be packed, of a support for the to be filled, driving means for said feeding means, a shifting lever operatively connected to said driving means and with which said.

ill)

bag support contacts to initiate movement of the feeding means, means for engaging said shifting lever for locking the driving means in driving relation to the feeding means, and means for releasing said engaging means when the bag has been filled and to release said driving means from driving relation with said feeding means.

2. In a machine of the class described, the combination with means for feeding the material to be packed, of a support for the bag to be filled mounted for movement towards and away from said feeding means, driving mechanism for said feeding means, a shifting lever connected to said drivin'g mechanism and with which said bag support contacts for initiating movement of the feeding means when said support is moved toward said feeding means, means for locking said shifting lever to maintain driving relation iii) of said driving mechanism with said feeding means, and devices interposed between said locking means and said bag support and 0p erable by the latter on its movement away from said feeding means, whereby to release said shifting lever and interrupt the driving relation of the driving mechanism with said feedinig means when the bag has been filled.

3. In a machine of the class described, the combination with means for feeding the material to be packed, of a support for the bag to be filled mounted for relative movement with respect to said feeding means, driving mechanism for said feeding means, a shifting lever connected to said driving mechanism for operating the latter to initiate operation of the feeding means when said bag support is moving toward said feeding means, said shifting lever being operated directly by the bag support, means for look ing said shifting lever to maintain the driving relation of said driving mechanism with said feeding means, releasing devices connected to said locking means, and a trip de vice associated with said releasing device and operable by said bag support on its move ment away from said feeding means, whereby to interrupt the driving relation of the driving mechanism with said feeding means when the bag has been filled.

4. In a machine of the class described, the combination with means for feeding the material to be packed, of a support for the bag to be filled mounted for movement toward and away from said feeding means, driving mechanism for said feeding means, a shifting lover connected to said driving means for operating the latter to initiate movement of the feeding means when the bag support is moved towards the feeding means. means for locking said shifting lever to maintain the driving relation of said driving mechanism with said feeding means, a releasing lever connected to said locking means for actuating the latter,- and a trip device operatively related to said releasing lever and to said bag support and adapted to be actuated by the bag support on its movement away from said feeding means, whereby to release said locking means and interrupt the driving relation of the driving mechanism with said feeding means when the bag has been filled.

5. In a machine of the class described. the combination with means for feeding the material to be packed, of a support for the bag to be filled mounted for movement towards and away from said feeding means, a driving clutch operatively related to said feeding means, means for actuating said clutch to establish driving connection between the same and said feeding means when said bag support is moved toward the feeding means, a latch lever operatively related to said actuating means for locking the driving clutch in driving relation to said feeding means, releasing devices connected to said latch lev r, and a trip device associated with said releasing devices and operatively related to said bag support for actuation thereby on movement of the support away from said feeding means, whereby 'to interrupt the driving relation of the driving clutch with said feeding means when the bag has been filled.

6. In a machine of the class described, the combination with means for feeding the material to be packed. of a support for the bag to be filled mounted for movement towards and away from said feeding means. driving mechanism for said feeding means. a shifting lever operable by contact of. said support on its movement toward said feeding means for operating said driving mechanism to initiate movement of said feeding means, means for locking said shifting lever against movement to maintain the driving status of said driving mechanisn'i, and releasing means for said locking means operable by contact of said bag support on its movement away from said feeding means for interrupting the driving relation of the driving mechanism with said feeding means when the bag has been filled.

7. In a machine of the class described, the combination with means for feeding the material to be packed, of a support for the bag to be filled mounted for movement towards and away from said feeding means, driving mechanism for said feeding means, a shifting lever operable by contact of said support on its movement toward said feeding means for operating said driving mechanism to initiate movement of said feeding means. a locking latch adapted to engage said shifting lever to lock the latter against movement. whereby to maintain the driving status of the driving mechanism. a trip lever arranged in the path of the bag support on its movement away from said feeding means 1,481,421 and adapted to be contacted thereby, and connections between said trip lever and the locking latch, whereby the latter is released from engagement with the shifting lever on the operation of the trip lever to interruptthe driving relation of the driving mechanism with said feeding means when the bag has been filled.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two 10 subscribing witnesses.

HENRY OB. HARDING. YVitneses F. D. MCCARTHY, J. K. MULLIKIN. 

